June 8th, our last day in Athens; a city rich in culture and history. Somehow, we managed to explore all the different archeological sites and museums in the span of three days. Although we were sad to leave the country’s capital, we were even more excited to continue our journey throughout Greece. However, leaving Athens proved to be challenging. Unfortunately, our bus broke down which slightly set us back with regards to our schedule. Nevertheless, we made the best of an uncontrollable situation and the rest of our day was filled with travel, museum visits and sightseeing. Once our new bus arrived, we began to make our way to Delphi stopping at Marathon, Rhamnous and Thebes along the way.
For those of you who are fascinated with Classics and History, the site of Marathon would interest you. It was at Marathon that the Greeks (Athens allied with Plataea) defeated the Persians in 490 BCE. This was a great feat for the Greeks as they were outnumbered by at least 2 to 1. The Greeks initiated the battle by running at the Persians giving the Greeks the advantage of surprise. The Greeks also used the marsh, located on site, to their advantage and some Persians were cornered. All in all, the Greek hoplites were successful in defeating the mighty Persian army. On site, we visited the Tumulus of Marathon which is 10 m high and 50 m in diameter. Essentially, the Tumulus looks like a steep hill surrounded by flat land. It holds the cremated remains of the fallen Athenian soldiers (approximately 192 bodies). Some say you can still hear the cracks of battle at night.
Our next stop on the way to Delphi was Rhamnous. Few of us knew the significance of this site; however, it turned out to be one of my favorites. Rhamnous is home to an ancient fortified town which looks out over the sea. It dates to the classical period. Unlike many of the other sites we visited, we were permitted to walk through the fortress as well as the near-by building known as the West house. Everyone really enjoyed this experience because it allowed us to explore architectural remains from the interior as opposed to looking in from the outside. We were walking in the footsteps ancient Greeks! As we were exploring the site, we were finding potsherds (some pieces had black slip on them) and even metal pieces. This site interested me the most because it allowed me to interact with the artifacts as opposed to looking at them through a glass casing. But we were careful to put any item back in place before leaving!
Our final stop on the way to Delphi was the museum of Thebes. It is a new museum and houses many interesting artifacts. I was personally fascinated with a clay Larnax (burial chest) from Tanagra which dates to the 14th-13th century BCE. It depicts mourning women pulling out their hair—a characteristic grieving pose.
All in all, we were able to see a variety of different places, with varying archeological significance, on our journey to a new city. Before signing off I would like to mention how different Athens and Delphi are. Although both are beautiful, Athens is a busy, modern city juxtaposed with ancient artifacts. In contrast, the most notable sights in Delphi are the mountains that take your breath away. Whether it’s a bustling city or a relaxed countryside, Greece has proven to be an awe-inspiring country. I can’t wait to find out what the other cities have in store for us!
